Stravic
by M Knightium
Summary: Bounty hunting's a dangerous job. It's gritty, harsh, and can always lead to someone on the ground in a pool of their own blood and fluids. Some typically failed to get their prey, and lost out in the end when the Plumbers came to the scene. Stravic, was not one of those hunters.


He knew this was a dangerous idea; if anything, it was the most dangerous thing he could ever do in his life, what with the Plumbers being around…or hell even the guys he was running from even…but this had to be done; he had to get it done so he could finally be at peace.

The skittish, rat like alien ducked into the seedy bar, one of many Undertown was iconic for, keeping his head low and trying to avoid eye contact with anyone out of fear of being noticed. He was the same ilk as the infamous Argit…though less pronounced.

Still, they shared the same reputation of not only being rats, but also sticking their noses where they didn't belong…and that was often right into trouble. And like the previous rodent alien, he knew where to go to get his troubles resolved.

 ** _CRASH_**

"Hey! What where the fuck you're goin' you damn four armed freak!" A Petrosapien shouted, already butting heads with an overweight Tetramand, the latter already rearing his fists and throwing the first punch; the entire bar exploding into laughter and praise at the sudden scuffle that erupted…this was clearly not the first time this has happened nor would it be the last. None the less, the rat had a mission, and he found his objective, reaching the end of the bar, where many feared to go…people with various weapons, tools, and other menacing things tinkered with said tech, drank their woes away, or even conversed with others in a civilized manner.

This was where the dangerous people came in Undertown…the Bounty Hunters. From small time ones like a Vaxasaurian rookie to experienced ones mostly made of metal from how many times they spat in death's face. None of them were his objective…the one at the very back was; seated at his own booth far away from all the others.

Even a few feet away the rat was still intimidated; the person sitting at the table, writing some things down via tablet and his clawed finger, was a Sotoraggian; one of many specifically meant for this career.

The one at the table was still as imposing as ever. He looked to be at least 6'10 in height; a towering man for a dangerous job, with broad wide shoulders and muscled yet thin arms. His long black fingers gently tapped away at the tablet, almost as if he heard nothing of the fight…or was directly putting it out of mind. His armor mirrored that of the legendary Sevenseven…though the differences between him and this Sotoraggian were very prominent; the latter's armor being a deep sage hue and his visors a bloody red hue, and his gauntlets being sleeker, arms never the product of cybernetic enhancements. The rat could see even from where he was this Sotoraggian lacked the circular discs around the waist and arms and his pants were baggier, seeming to make it look like he had more locomotion than the others, and all together lacking a jetpack and replacing it with some sort of cubical one instead. Strange black wiry locks drooped from his helmet; almost like metal dreadlocks…while most would consider the look foolish, the rat was scared nigh shitless; it made the hunter look like some sort of demented predator.

And the weapons…they were what really drew the rat's attention.

On the table rested some sort of black and red bow, and next to that was a steel quiver, filled to the brim with long sleek arrows. The bow as a composite one, with three separate arrows and a set of holographic sights of the side…it was the perfect mix of ancient weapon meets advanced technology; silent and devastating.

The gun below it was some sort of Incursean SMG; the rat guessed it fired plasma at rapid rates. And below that were two blue blasters; this guy was well prepared for combat.

The rat shook himself out his stupor; shaking his head rapidly and tapping it. He had to focus, for her! The rat took a step forward, and less than a moment he was on his back, something pinning him down. His vision cleared, and once it did he wished it was gone once more.

The creature's clawed hand rested on his chest, appearing as a giant pale skinned lizard; all four red eyes focused on the rat and taking in his fear. He wanted to scream; to try and wrestle away from the beast and run but…he couldn't. Despite everything he just couldn't summon the muscles in his body to comply and work for once. Even in his fearful haze he was able to actually figure out the creature that had him pinned down was something called a Buglizard; one of the predatory creatures roaming Lepidopterra…the natural predators of the Lepidopterrans; the insect-like aliens known for running numerous businesses in Undertown. This one was the same as the others; about as imposing and terrifying as ever, though along its spikes the rat noticed a lighter tint…this was a male one; a rare thing to see many rarely knew how to tell the gender of these large reptiles. Even more odd was it wasn't as large as the typical ones; beings as a large dog, as opposed to the typical car sized ones, as well as this Buglizard having blue stripes along its neck…an odder quirk, however.

"Geck, heel." A calm, yet metallic voice finally spoke, the rat's lungs filling with air when the beast took its clawed foot off of his torso; rising to a sitting position while just…slinking away from the lizard, watching the beast curl up next to the booth the Sotoraggian sat at. "He doesn't like it when people get too close to me." The rat was in…some disbelief; the damn Sotoraggian was speaking fluent English?

When those crimson visors focused on him, he cringed in an instant.

"You're obviously confused as to why I'm speaking to you; correct?"

"Y-Yes," Even his voice was squeaky, giving way to the true fear and…rodent tendencies. "Most y'know…don't."

"It's bad for business when only four or so fucking people in the galaxy can understand you," He spoke, finger gliding across the tablet once again. "That's why I'm fluent in at least seven languages; no hang ups and nothing lost in translation." Really…the rat couldn't find any failed logic in there; that literally ensured every single time there'd be no problems with getting what was desired and—

"S-Sir," He had to focus! Every second he waited was every second she could be out there being defiled or worse! "Mr…"

"Stravic," He spoke, not even noticing the rat's expression. "And you?"

"Rattic…I need your…help." The tapping away at the tablet stopped, and like that the Rattic felt the tension was nearly crushing him. "U-Um, Mr. Stravic…?"

"Another job…how splendid." He spoke, turning and motioning for Rattic to sit down; a waitress walking over and setting down two drinks of scotch. "Now, calmly explain _everything_ and let me see if I can…fulfill this contract." Rattic knew right now, a sane person would back down, admit defeat from their failed dreams, and move on…but he was determined.

Anything to save her.

"It's my girlfriend," His tiny mouth finally moved, speaking the words clearly. "S-She's been kidnapped; a few days ago I had made some…kinda…sorta…bad call on some cards and jokingly bet my most precious possession I could ever come to hold in my hands—"

"So you bet your beloved girlfriend on a card game and they came to collect when you failed?" Rattic slunk down in his seat…that was the harsh version of it, plain and simple.

"I-It wasn't a bet! I just…made a bad play."

"A bet; everyone tends to gamble away everything…continue." Rattic could _feel_ the annoyance in Stravic's voice…he was on thin ice.

"Anyhow sir, she's been kidnapped; taken hostage by some nefarious dogs and are probably defiling her as we speak! I don't know where she is…nor do I know how long before Ymir's goons find me."

"Ymir; the Necrofriggan who owns an organized crime syndicate? Why play cards in his bar, when you know that he can simply take everything from you the mere moment you pick the cards up?"

"I was winning every table so far!" Stravic rolled his hand, to tell him to continue. "Anyhow…I-I can pay handsomely if you help me!" That was the key words to always say to every single Bounty Hunter.

They were the words every hunter wanted to hear above all else.

"One hundred," Stravic finally spoke, Rattic thinking…and finally catching on. "One hundred and fifty Taydens; you give me seventy now, and the rest once I bring her back alive." Rattic was…crushed, emotionally.

That was a _lot_ of money.

He wasn't even able to continue speaking; Stravic did before he could, following a low **_augh_** noise.

"How much money do you have? Do you have anything left you _didn't_ blow on gambling?" In all honesty, he did have some…he just didn't retain a lot; had to pay for food from the market as well as the rent on his house…and gambling debts.

"I have only 60 Taydens…entirely…sir…" And with each word he spoke he lost more and more confidence…feeling like Stravic would stare a hole right through him.

"…how much do you love this woman?" He asked, Rattic being caught off guard by the question. "How much do you care about her; calling her your most precious treasure despite gambling and betting her to a Necrofriggan…though thankfully they have no reason to hold her hostage for a long time."

No words could begin to explain Rattic's sheer love and awe for her. Ever since they first met, he loved her; she lit his entire world up and always brought him gifts, treasures, and love.

…and he bet her; on a card game.

"I'd do all in my power to bring her back to me…sir I'm at my wits end. Please; help. Me." Stravic was silent again, before he extended his clawed hand, fingers curling a few times.

"The money…the 60 Taydens; I'll find her."

"Y-You will? Just-"

" _But_ , I need a few things first; you need to find me an article of her clothing or something with her scent on it…and then remain in this place. Based on how you looked when you entered it's possible she's still somewhere in Undertown, meaning I don't need to go very far to find her and bring her back." Rattic was ecstatic, overjoyed! He dropped the Taydens and stuffed his hand into his pocket; pulling up a lump of red cloth.

"I found this when I came home; it's no doubt something she had on before being taken…smelt just like her; cranberries and sweetness." Stravic took the cloth and stood up, beginning to collect the various weapons and place them on his back; each one locking on with an electrical **_snap_** noise; each one magnetizing to his back and locking in place, even the bow locked on after folding up into a blocky rod. His metallic hand came down on Rattic's shoulder, the rat feeling a sense of…comfort; knowing he was going to see his girlfriend again!

"Waitress, keep the drinks going for the small one…keep it on my tab." And with that, he was gone, Rattic sighing and looking to the cool, blue drink in front of him.

Everything was gonna be okay…everything was gonna work out in the end.

* * *

"So, she's in Undertown somewhere," Stravic mused to himself, holding the cloth up to the Buglizard's noise, the beast inhaling rapidly before glancing around, sniffing the air and soon making a rapid series of snarls; he found a trail. "Go on boy, I'll follow behind." The reptile shot off, galloping and running as far as possible while his maw frothed and twitched; the Sotoraggian not even rushing to keep pace with the maddened beast, he'd always stop right near the location and wait for his master.

There was absolutely no rush.

Arriving at the scene a short while later, Stravic surveyed the situation from the top of a run-down building; helmet's vision shifting and changing from a clear and crisp normal one to a blue Thermal one, allowing him to notice and see there were at least twelve creatures inside on the first floor and about four on the second one. The building was a warehouse; windows on the first floor but barred ones on the second; getting through those was an impossibility without risking the entire job.

"First floor seems to be mostly goons: I can see some Kraaho in there who are probably working for Ymir as the denser part of these troops…at least nine are in there, with one Lepidopterran and even a Appoplexian as some sort of bodyguard or strongarm…rare; didn't take Ymir for the type to recruit a walking time-bomb of pure unchecked rage." Geck warbled next to him, the beast scratching his claws against the wooden roof impatiently. "Yes, the bug's yours to feed on…but let's minimize problems during this; something tells me the mere moment Ymir knows I'm in there he'll outright kill the girl." He knew the Necrofriggan wouldn't come up in the Thermal Optics because they lacked any form of heat to begin with…so it was a gamble if he was in there or not; Stravic didn't want to take the chance of him being there and killing the girl if he was too loud with his approach. Standing up, the Sotoraggian made a sharp motion to the roof.

"Stay here, and only come when I whistle." The beast seemed to understand; Stravic leaping off and landing soundlessly on the ground, approaching the building and pulling the bow out; the arms unfolding and the sights glowing as they became active…he was debating on actually using the bow for the job. He knew that being loud was a free way to get the hostage killed; so thus he had to go with the second option, placing the weapon on his back and flicking his right arm; a thin yet lengthy energy blade extending from his gauntlet, glimmering as the superheated plasma made contact with the air. He reached up and cut quickly, literally slicing the window off its frame and catching it before it fell; stepping inside and setting it down to his right. The inside looked about as junky as the outside; tables all resting around with either blasters, bags filled with Taydens, or mysterious boxes filled with slime…that was probably some drug Ymir cooked up to further increase the number of idiots to gamble at his makeshift bars.

Stravic didn't judge, nor did he care.

He crouched down behind one of the tables, listening in to the Kraaho speaking about something.

"So now what're we gonna do? The boss has that girl up there and he's refusing to go back to work 'nless that little punk Rattic pays up."

"Meh, jus' means when he sells her off as a sex slave one of us can take a crack at 'er."

"Can't; the boss man's weird…he said no one's to harm her—"

"Shut the fuck up Sig; he'll let us at 'er soon."

They were either exiles from the tribe living further away in Undertown, or deserters. None the less; not one was really needed. Another scan via Thermal vision told Stravic that the Appoplexian wasn't in the room anymore…he had gone upstairs; a well-timed explosive would fix everything. His clawed fingers plucked ne of the cubical grenades from his chest, tapped the button to arm it, and tossed it under the table the stretchy aliens were all gathered at, counting down on his fingers before he picked his Plasma SMG up; vaulting over one of the tables the mere moment the explosion went off, landing right as the debris and gore from the explosion passed right by him. The remaining Kraaho were in a state of confusion and panic, only one managed to see him, and his head exploded into colorful purple gore when the plasma shot connected with his head. The remaining four were exterminated with one clip; Stravic rapidly reloading just as the Lepidopterran noticed him and fired a jet of sticky green mucus at him; his left arm lifting and the metal shifting to form a large red shield made from hard light, the mucus collecting on it. More shots followed and soon Stravic could no longer see through his own shield…that wasn't good.

"I gotta tell the boss!" He heard the bug say, and in a moment his helmet produced a sharp ringing sound…the window smashing in as Geck stood there in the fly's way, snarling and growling.

"There's your snack boy." And like that the Buglizard tore into the Lepidopterran; an arm flying and landing on the ground as the lizard hungrily dug into the bug, eating and enjoying himself. Another whistle followed and he walked over, still with a leg in his maw.

"Good boy," Stravic retracted the shield and started walking, the slimy mucus falling to the floor in messy clumps, getting one step up the stairs before a fist connected with his head, sending him to the ground.

"What the fuck is this bullshit?! Some lil' grade A dickwaffle walked into _MY_ warehouse and tried to kill MY FUCKING BOSS?!" The Appoplexian…of course he heard the shooting and the screaming. Stravic got to his feet just as the tiger's fist smashed into the wooden floor he was moments ago; open firing and watching the plasma sear his furred hide. "Lemme tell ya somethin, tiny bounty hunter! First, I'm gonna kill ya, then I'm gonna parade your damn corpse around like a piñata before smashing it in the fucking street!"

A colorful language, this one. Stravic rolled his eyes and waited for the cat to rush at him again, leaping up and landing right on his shoulders. His blade hissed as it was exposed to the air and a **_crunch_** later embedded it in the Appoplexian's head; the cat dropping to the floor with a twitch.

"Seems I'll be the one parading _you_ around then," Stravic ascended the stairs once more and engaged his shield; plasma blasts already dissipating when they slammed into it and caused him to skid back briefly. However, just as quickly as they fired, they stopped; Stavric able to see the four shooters were just Revonnahgander, all armed with probably bootleg blasters copied from Plumber tech. They all stood in front of a large brown desk, though the chair was turned so the one seated was unseen…Stravic took a wild guess and assumed it was Ymir himself.

But why did they stop shooting?

"I told them to stand down," A wispy voice spoke, almost as if it read Stravic's thoughts. The chair turned and revealed the Necrofriggian himself; being an Evolved crimson and yellow colored one instead; his wings folded over him to form a shroud and allow him retain some intimidation, and yet at the same time grace. Ymir had the overall look of someone who was calm, cold, and above all else, one step ahead always. "No use wasting ammo on your Type-7 Energy Shield."

"You know my tech then." He didn't put the defense away…he could never be too sure. The ghostly moth waved his hand, and the guards lowered their weapons, standing to the side and backing away. Ymir stood and literally walked through his own desk, reforming as he stood ample distance away from Stravic…still on the defensive.

"I know a lot about you Stravic; the Sotoraggian wise enough to actually learn from his errors, and complete dozens of jobs…not to mention one of the few who takes his foes tech to twist in his own image."

"Noted…you're aware of why I come then?"

"For the girl who left Rattic, I assume?" The Necrofriggian shrugged, walking back to his desk and sitting down, hands resting on the table. "What story did he tell you? That she was kidnapped? That men broke into her house and took her, kicking and screaming?"

"Apparently yes," The shield fell, and Stravic crossed his arms; he wanted to hear this little tale before he killed everyone in the room. "But it doesn't take a genius to see that's not the full story."

"Always the clever one; while Miss Lily did need to be taken the Uxorite wasn't entirely unwilling for the situation. I asked her when she was brought here and she explained that she never loved the little rat anyhow; she was just stuck with him because she couldn't stand to see a little person shrivel up and cry like he did each time she came close to walking out on him. Because of this she had been cheating on him with other men and even women whenever he went out to the nearest bar or club to nurse his gambling addiction; anything to get the gratification he couldn't provide."

"So, she stayed with him out of pity, and he loves her out of blind delusional faith."

"In a manner of speaking yes; the day I saw her and her unhappiness was when Rattic was in my bar in the first place, gambling away their money and losing game after game. I could tell she was frustrated and at wits end…just too pitiful of the beta male to speak up and tell him it was time to go home; him being intoxicated wasn't a good thing either. So, I did the next best thing."

"You challenged him to a card game?" The creature's maw twitched in a tranquil grin.

"Indeed; I told Rattic that if he beat me, he could take one thing from me and it could be anything; even my prized bar…and if I beat him, I took Lily."

"You rigged the game?"

"Stravic, I am many things: a leader, a psychopath, and a monster…but I am no _cheater_. I played the game fair…and he lost; even when I noticed he tried to slip an ace up and cheat."

"You beat a cheater by playing fair…interesting."

"Beyond; anyhow he lost. I then fabricated a story saying he owed me four hundred Taydens to keep him from showing his face; enough time to speak with Lily under calmer circumstances and allow me to understand everything. From there I essentially felt sorry for her and did what I could to make things better for her; I'm a benevolent crime boss after all…most tend to be when you have no foes to be worrisome about." And that was when Stravic noticed the girl wasn't in the room…she never was to begin with despite his scans.

"And where is she now?"

"Odds are out at a bar having the time of her life and enjoying herself with a Vaxasaurian named Steg who recently got through a very harsh relationship that went sour; I told her I'd do all I can to ensure she'd never have to deal with Rattic and the money he 'owes' me makes him paranoid from even being sighted even when he's getting cuckolded." Stravic mulled all this over, and sighed, shaking his head.

"None the less, I still need to collect on my funding."

"I understand; you're a bounty hunter, and I'm just a crime lord." Ymir handed one of the guards an envelope, who immediately moved over and handed it to Stravic. "She's at the address written on the envelope; go there and bring her back to Rattic if you desire, but I do have an idea." A guard walked off, and came back with a bag, stuffed to the brim with Taydens.

"…I'm listening." Ymir's next request was…unnerving.

"Go there, take her to Rattic, and let her tell him the truth."

"Reason being?"

"There is one fire that irks me in this galaxy…one thing that makes me livid and angry even more than the most distasteful metal or the most ravenous Psycholeopterran, and that is lying. A relationship forged on the very basis of this cancer I despise more than anything. So thus, I want the rat to understand everything, and then move the hell on; hell even tell him he doesn't owe me anything, and his previous debts are removed if he just lets her go. Give the envelope to Steg, once he reads the contents he'll understand, and give Lily this one," Another envelope was given to Stravic. "Then fulfill your obligation to the rat and bring him his 'precious' girlfriend…let them sort things out."

"Steg will be entirely calm with this, as will Lily?"

"The contents in the envelopes will ease their worries and let them be at rest. Once you finish this, I'd like to speak with you more; I have some…unsavory people who'd I'd like removed." Assassination contracts…Stravic always enjoyed a steady income.

Though this meant giving someone the harsh truth first and foremost.

"Do I get the Taydens now or after I let the world crumble for Rattic."

"Whenever you can really…preferably _after_ ; some like to steal here in Undertown and I'd rather not see someone be a victim of that." At least Ymir was…calm, for a crime lord; perhaps it stemmed from being a Necrofriggian.

"Apologies for the men who died downstairs."

"Hmm? Oh, no one cares; those Kraaho were deserters and the Lepidopterran just a leech who wanted more to drink and more drugs."

"And the Appoplexian?"

"The same, only he was amusing to keep around due to how much of a bumbling idiot he was. I'll just find another one and promise him the same money as a bouncer…Vaxasaurians or Petrosapiens make better bouncers anyhow." A cold sense of humor…befitting. "Anyhow, once you finish with your assignments come back to me and we can discuss a job or two…I always enjoyed working with bounty hunters and you already seem like a promising one."

Stravic was already making his way down the stairs, whistling to Geck and letting him know to not eat the corpses.

The time had come to take care of business, and reunite the happy couple…

* * *

The bar was about as seedy as the one he started in; Stravic pushing the door open and glancing around. He kept Geck outside for safe keeping…this establishment seemed less…lawless than the other; he was able to notice moments later than the place was actually a gentleman's club…a strip club.

How those managed to slip under the Plumbers, the Sotoraggian would never know.

On the stage, currently was a Uxorite; a busty and voluptuous one…he calmly ignored her for the time; he was here on business, despite her being topless.

He had no time to let himself be distracted.

He reached the corner, where he could see a large Vaxasaurian seated in a chair, with the Uxorite he came for resting in his lap; giggling and laughing like she was having the time of her life. Steg looked much like typical dinosaur, though his skin had odd black stripes along his shoulders and neck; clad in only a pair of black shorts and a harness; a quirk being he wore a pair of glasses, indicating he seemed less of a fighter and more of an intellectual; a rarity amongst his kind. Lily, as Stravic could infer, looked the same as typical ones would; her body concealed in a long, knee length green dress, her shoulders bare and with a necklace around her neck…Rattic must have bought her that at some point.

Before things went south.

"Steg," He spoke, Stravic taking in the bemused look of the Vaxasaurian. "A letter." He spoke, handing him the envelope Ymir had given him. He was perplexed for a second, but after reading its contents he sighed, looking down to Lily.

"Something came up my dear," He spoke, in a sincere, calm tone. "I have to go for now…take care until then."

"What?" Lily sat up, all the fun erased from her face and being replaced with fear and concern. "B-But where are you going? What's wrong?" She looked to Stravic for a second; a glare really. "Was it something _he_ did?"

"No no, just something else. I'll be back as soon as I can." He gently moved her to rest her in the chair, setting off and leaving the club all together.

They were a good couple…but Stravic got the idea his intro was less than pleasing.

"What the hell did you tell him?" Lily asked sharply. "What the hell was on that paper?"

"Something Ymir wrote for him." At the Necrofriggian's name being mentioned Lily gasped, going rigid. "He did the same for you as well." He pulled hers out and held it out; the girl snatching it and reading the contents once she opened it.

"…Ymir wants me to tell Rattic the truth…" She finally breathed, a mix of relief and yet at the same time…fear, evident. "…I'm not sure if I can."

"It's not hard," Stravic started walking, motioning for the door to say he wanted to converse somewhere less…noisy. "Just tell him you think he's a sniveling little rat and he should nut up or shut up…as the humans say."

"It's not that easy! Every single time I try he just tears up and breaks down; hurts my heart to see each time. I wanna go I just…every time I see him break down like that I feel like a bitch. The worst part is he always does it somewhere public; at home he just gets…violent, hurting himself and trying to force me to take care of him." She sat down on a bench outside, sighing while Stravic stood next to her, thinking deeply on what she said.

"Your entire relationship is built on lies and pity…even if you both tried to make it work you'd end up to where you are now; seeing other men while he drinks your money away at a bar somewhere. From what I saw in a moment you and the Vaxasaurian were a much better couple in a few short hours than you and Rattic ever could come close to; it's time to move on and find happiness…and either he'll do the same, or let the past consume him. But don't let him weigh you down with that, and treat it like it's your fault." She was silent for the time, but finally nodded, steeling herself and standing.

"…alright…I'm ready."

"Good, the sooner we do this, the sooner you can come back and find Steg…and I can collect my money." Stavic knew that was nowhere near the hard part…the hardest part would be making sure things went smoothly when the truth came out.

He wasn't a betting hunter…but he knew entirely that would not be the case.

* * *

Rattic didn't even know how many drinks he downed…or how long the bounty hunter had set off to bring back his girlfriend. He finished downing another one of the blue fruity drinks, belching loudily, before the door opened.

When he turned, he felt the relief he sought for a long time. Lily! She was okay!

"Lily!" He clambered out the seat and ran right for her, stopping short and composing himself. "You're okay!" She grinned at the sight of his jubilee mode, but the bounty hunter cleared his throat, rolling his hand.

"Go on, it's best you get it out now like ripping a bandage off."

Get what out? Lily had some news for him? His beloved girlfriend's face softened, and she sighed.

"Rattic, I never loved you." Those words hit him like a train, the rat taking a step back and trying to make sense of what she said. "I never loved you…our entire relationship's been formed on the pity I had for you when you started crying and begging me to stay and it tugged on my heart strings."

"B-But, every time you said you loved me—"

"Lying," She spoke, another strike to Rattic's pride and emotions. "I lied so you'd feel better…the entire relationship was just me trying to make you feel better while feeling…constricted; bound and stuck with weight. I wanted to go out to that restaurant once; you denied it and said we didn't have the money, and then spent said money gambling."

"B-But I was feeling lucky!" Her stern expression made him fall silent…what could have come over his beloved like this? The tears were already brimming and he felt some hope in his heart when he saw her gaze soften…all he had to do was keep it up for a bit longer. "L-Lily…a-are you really gonna leave me because of that?"

"It's a lot more than that," The hunter spoke…and Rattic's mind started making sense of it. _He_ put her up to it! He was trying to take his beloved Lily away! "You're suffocating her; you cling to her because she's the only woman to ever tolerate and stand you for more than twelve minutes. You need to clean your fucking act up, and be a better man."

Be a better man…but…Lily liked him for how he was. She had to; she told him that each time he asked.

"Lily, is this guy makin' you say all this?" He tried to bring his bravado…some bounty hunter this asshole was! "Is he just trying to steal you from me?"

"Rattic, it's the truth…now I need to go." She started for the door, and like that all his confidence faded, scrambling over his seat and trying to follow her, but soon fell to the floor, too slow to stop her and too slow to cue the waterworks for her to see. "You need to move on…find a girl who loves you for you…and not because she feels sorry for you." The door opened, and for a flash he thought he caught a glimpse of her hugging a Vaxasaurian out there…his entire world was in shambles.

The only woman to ever stay with him, was gone…it was over.

"Rattic, our deal, remember?" Fury laced through his tiny body, and he stood up, anger lacing across his tiny face.

"Deal?! Why should I pay some lousy good for nothing bounty hunter!?"

"If I recall, you asked me to bring her back; I brought her back. She _chose_ to walk out and go be with someone she cares about and isn't staying with out of pity. Now the wise thing here is to move on, ditch your gambling addiction, forget her, and pay me." The nerve of this asshole! He wanted to give him what for right then and there!

"I'm not paying you for sully work! Now get out! I don't ever wanna see you again!" Rattic lost all that anger when he heard the hunter sit down, picking his tablet up and making a low whistle.

"Fine, you don't have to pay me." The rat heard a rapid series of footsteps before mind-bending pain exploded around him, feeling a set of jaws dig into his torso and violently shake him around. "It means I don't have to tell Geck to stop." Rattic couldn't even hear him anymore; every single time he tried to focus the gut-wrenching pain snapped him out of his thoughts, being shaken around like a used chew toy! Finally, he hit the ground, huffing and panting; blood oozing from his chest wounds, the Buglizard's claw pressing down on his torso, ribs beginning to snap from the pressure.

"Still wanna refuse payment, Rattic?" He could hear the hunter ask, entirely calm despite his pet tearing the poor rodent apart. "Geck's never had your kind before…you may be the first."

"F-Fine," He reached out and dropped the small bag of Taydens on the table…the hunter counting them and glancing calmly.

"This is thirty, what happened to the rest?"

"…I…wanted to get lucky with the slot machines."

"So, you gambled away the money," Stravic stood and a **_tsk_** noise filled his ears, almost as if he were being chided, and the Buglizard's claw was lifted from him, the rat sucking in air at a maddened pace. He didn't get time to properly think, the clawed hands of the Sotoraggian yanked him up and he felt himself being dragged…moved to another place as the hunter held his leg only. "We're paying a visit to Ymir…maybe _he_ can teach you the importance of paying your debts on time…like the ones you owe him."

No words could describe the fear that shot through Rattic's mind in that instant.

* * *

"Well that was an amusing spectacle," Stravic spoke, tapping a keycode and opening the door to his ship; his sleek purple vessel parked over in the outskirts of Undertown, where he could rest easy and not fear anyone messing with his home. The craft he chose was more of a rectangle with a narrowed head, long wings, and antigravity thrusters; the entire thing being about as large as a suburban home on the inside, even with multiple rooms. The lights clicked on and Stravic walked through his well-furnished living room; Geck rushing to the plush blue couch and curling up on it, the roaring fireplace on the wall already going. His desk awaited on the far side, and the Sotoraggian tossed down the bag of Taydens Ymir had given him upon his return…and with the rat as well. "Shame the rat will never walk right again considering the things they did to him…"

Really, he didn't know one could stuff a blaster that far into someone.

Stravic approached his wall, unclipping his various weapons and placing them along the rack there, making sure each was either unloaded, or charging…he didn't want any mishaps after all. His pack was set next to them, as was his torso armor, pale lumpy skin being exposed to the warm sensation of the toasty room. In a matter of moments he shed his entire armor; setting it along the wall and moving to the restroom; the Sotoraggian taking a quick shower using the Zero-G setting and cleaning himself accordingly before settling down on the couch, clad in a nice warm black robe, his slightly elongated head resting against the plush headrest, toothy maw snapping a bit before he tossed in a wormy snack, crimson eyes affixing them on the wall mounted holo-tv, slick black talons curling around the remote and mashing it, changing the channel; there seemed to be an interesting program regarding sumos.

Another job, and another day…such was the life, for a bounty hunter.

* * *

(This is a new project I'm working on; making history for myself as this is my first M rated story ever written on ; a place I started out at when I was younger. This story came to me after I finished watching the _Frogs of War Part 2_ ; when the emperor was defeated.

Did no one notice he blew that ship up? Those Incurseans inside all died except for Milleous. There were other instances of that but I don't have time to get into all of those.

And such I decided to write some factors of the Ben 10 universe in a more realistic, harsher, darker light than it's typically portrayed; mixing in factors like domestic violence, substance abuse, and even sexual content at times with a forewarning. Now I know right now, this won't be everyone's cup of tea; if anything, this could do some damage to my younger readers…there's a Mature content filter for a reason. I don't want to divide my already limited fan base; I just personally wanted to work on something like this. It gives me a lot of places to work with and add in ideas and things to the Ben 10 universe that, really, seem befitting and even good for plot, like overarching characters, real world problems, and even darker themes. Sometimes those produce the best tales. So this footnote is the best warning I can give of what to expect with this; while I'm working on the last few chapters for Menct's story that will take a long time to do as it's supposed to be centered around the Frogs of War special, and that was a major place to cover. I'll be working on this more often as it lets me get those ideas out I had pent up for a good while and see if readers enjoy them; this chapter was just me testing the water with this gritter style on ; the next few will be either shorter, or even longer; depending on the job. For another note this takes place _after_ the main series of Omniverse; following the series finale. From what I was told the original universe was still remaining so...this happened, it's a good place to have something like this form after all.

I hope you all enjoy this new project, and if not, leave a review anyhow; they give me insight on where to improve and when I should throw in the towel for something.)


End file.
